Information you may need to know

[>Marionette<]

I'm not going to be too picky about names for cities and where they should be and all that jazz. Up there is basic information, with the rest up to us. As you can see the Queen has taken quite a bit of land, thankfully the echanted forest (whose name we can make up) sort of acts as a barrier. But not for long, I hear she plans on just cutting down the forest or burning it down. Do not post in here please.

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Speculum

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The City where it all started, Speculum. It shines brightly at night and glitter in the day. This city is maintained to have the best of everything in terms of fashion and invention. Victorian style has evolved notably in the architecture, although there they don't call it Victorian. All in the city are mostly safe from dying at the hands of the Queen. She likes to keep her home happy after all.

The Queen's Castle
That isn't a trick of the light, the Queen's castle is actually white. It is being constantly cleaned, and is surprisingly not as big as other castles in her land, but certainly the best maintained.

[>Marionette<]

Races

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Human - the only playable race, sorry.
Humans have a wide range going for them. They are highly adaptable and flexible with how they can live, which is probably why they make up most of the world’s population.

Humans in the Queen's Kingdom

Nobles –
The chosen privileged and spoiled royalty that used to rule over the land but technically no longer do since the Queen has taken over. They do act as sort of mini-rulers now, as the Queen has taken a more laissez faire approach to things unless they bother her. They lead very cozy lives.

Upper class –
High ranked Army Officials. A step below nobles, but certainly more respected as they actually earned their way up rather than having been born into it.

Lower class –
Commoners that have to pay high taxes and work to provide for the Army, they are treated as second class citizens by any who are not them. But they also so happen to be the majority. A few are doing ok for themselves, but the majority live in a less than comely quality. These people have to be tough in order to survive. They do get to party during festival time though! It is not uncommon for these families to have many children and send the boys off to be soldiers. It helps bring in money.

In Divore and Ebone there is a middle class that makes the majority, and the poverty level is low. However the Kingdoms are still at war and weary.

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Dwarves -
Humans have lost touch with Dwarves, as they seem to keep to themselves in the mountains. They prefer to remain neutral in wars, however it has become abundantly clear to them that the Queen is encroaching on their territory.

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Creatures -
Think of this setting as Narnia in terms of creatures. It pretty much has anything we wish to add or make up. Some are more rare than others, but that is up to our general consensus.

[>Marionette<]

The Queen's Army

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Spies

Her majesty keeps many little creatures as her spies. Most notably she has an affiliation with the Raven, but has been known to use rats or beetles, even spiders. They have absolutely no courage, and are easily scared away if spotted.

Life expectancy: However long the bird or small creature lives
Weapons: none
Armament: none
Combat Prowess: very poor

Tin Men

These soldiers are walking hunks of armour constructed by an inventor working with steam. They have no heart, and make up about a fourth of the Queen's army. They are slightly larger than your average man, and very strong, they also feel no pain or fatigue. Once given an order by their leader they follow through with it mercilessly. These soldiers do rust, but are maintained and cared for by 'mechanic' soldiers who are taught how to care for these sentinals.

Life expectancy: Until destroyed
Weapons: Axe, mace, blunt instruments
Armament: made of metal and tough
Combat Prowess: above average

Scarecrows

The dead walk again in the Queen's army. Undead and gross, these zombies are a horde that do not resemble themselves in the least when they were alive. The contract they signed to be a soldier in the Queen's army is a spell that morphs them when they die, bringing them back as a ruthless killer. They do not feel pain nor do they tire. Their bodies are a tad stale however, and only kept together by the Queen's enchantment. A common war cry against these hordes is 'Off with their heads!', because once you behead them, the enchantment is broken. They are not too bright, but very obedient to the queen and those that lead them. They make up about two fourths of the Queen's army.

Life expectancy: On average their bodies can hold up to thirty years.
Weapons: Spears and swords
Armament: Minimal and low quality
Combat Prowess: Average

Men

Strong soldiers who are paid moderate wage and given food for their families. The catch for this is that they must sign a contract that turns them into a Scarecrow should they die. They make up about one fourth of the Queen's army.

Life expectancy: on Average seventy years
Weapons: Spears or swords, bows and arrows
Armament: Standard chest protector, helmet, and are and leg protection
Combat Prowess: Above Average and up, it varies from person to person

Creatures

Various mounts are at the army's disposal, along with two cave trolls from the Dwarven mountains. They are rumoured to guard the Queen's castle however, and do not engage in battle.

[>Marionette<]

Factions
Queen's Army- You serve the Queen and her interests, and truly believe she is your God to worship, may you reap the spoils.

Rebellion- You are sick of the Queen, and God or not she must be stopped. You are actively in the secret rebellion force.

Out for Yourself- You travel a lot or simply do not live in any certain kingdom. You are a rare outcast.

Divore Army- You serve in the Divore Kingdom.

Ebone Army- You serve in the Ebone Kingdom.

A5MORALE ALIGNMENT

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Morale Alignment is a categorization of the ethical and moral perspective of people, creatures and societies. A person's morale alignment cannot be simply defined by good or evil nor, law abiding citizen or miscreant. I won't enforce your alignment, since a person morals can change overnight. But, I will ask that you try to stick to it. Because by correctly choosing a morale alignment for your character, you can define there personality a lot better and therefor play it better. The chart below should be a good visual to help determine the moral alignment of your charter. Other than that, read through the descriptions.

Axes

There are 4 axes, which determine your characters morals. The axes work like Cardinal Directions, meaning a person cannot be North and South or Good and Evil. If you were thinking that your character would be both, then they fall into the category of neutral. By reading the descriptions below you will get an better idea.

• Law vs. Chaos
  Law versus chaos axis, predates good versus evil. People often consider law and chaos less relevant to their character than good and evil. Confusingly, a lawful alignment does not necessarily mean that a character obeys laws, nor does a chaotic alignment necessarily mean that a character disobeys laws.
  
  
  Law: Implies honor, trustworthiness, obedience to authority, and reliability. On the downside, lawfulness can include closed-mindedness, reactionary adherence to tradition, judgementalness, and a lack of adaptability. Those who consciously promote lawfulness say that only lawful behavior creates a society in which people can depend on each other and make the right decisions in full confidence that others will act as they should.
  
  Chaos: Implies freedom, adaptability, and flexibility. On the downside, chaos can include recklessness, resentment toward legitimate authority, arbitrary actions, and irresponsibility. Those who promote chaotic behavior say that only unfettered personal freedom allows people to express themselves fully and lets society benefit from the potential that its individuals have within them.
  
  Neutral: Someone who is neutral with respect to law and chaos, has a normal respect for authority and feels neither a compulsion to obey nor a compulsion to rebel. They are honest but can be tempted into lying or deceiving others.
  
  
• Good vs. Evil
  The conflict of good versus evil is a common motif fantasy fiction. Although characters can adventure for personal gain rather than from altruistic motives, it is generally assumed that the player characters will generally be opposed to evil and often fight evil creatures.
  
  
  Good: Implies altruism, respect for life, and a concern for the dignity of sentient beings. Good characters make personal sacrifices to help others.
  
  Evil: Implies harming, oppressing, and killing others. Some evil creatures simply have no compassion for others and kill without qualms if doing so is convenient or if it can be set up. Others actively pursue evil, killing for sport or out of duty to some malevolent deity or master.
  
  Neutral: People who are neutral with respect to good and evil have compunctions against killing the innocent but lack the commitment to make sacrifices to protect or help others. Neutral people are committed to others by personal relationships.

Alignments

By combining the above axes: Law, Chaos, Good, Evil, and Neutral, you will get a Moral Alignment. Each one has a brief description and examples to help you decide.

Good Moral Alignments

• Lawful Good: Known as the "Saint" or "Crusader" alignment. A Lawful Good character typically acts with compassion, and always with honor and a sense of duty. A Lawful Good nation would consist of a well-organized government that works for the benefit of its citizens.
  
  Lawful Good characters, may sometimes find themselves faced with the dilemma of whether to obey law or good when the two conflict - for example, upholding a sworn oath when it would lead innocents to come to harm - or conflicts between two orders, such as between their religious law and the law of the local ruler.
  
  
  Example: Batman, Dick Tracy, and Indiana Jones.
• Neutral Good: Known as the "Benefactor" alignment. A Neutral Good character is guided by his conscience and typically acts altruistically, without regard for or against Lawful precepts such as rules or tradition. A Neutral Good character has no problems with co-operating with lawful officials, but does not feel beholden to them. In the event that doing the right thing requires the bending or breaking of rules, they do not suffer the same inner conflict that a Lawful Good character would.
  
  
  Example: Zorro and Spider-Man.
  
  
• Chaotic Good: Known as the "Beatific," "Rebel," or "Cynic" alignment. A Chaotic Good character favors change for a greater good, disdains bureaucratic organizations that get in the way of social improvement, and places a high value on personal freedom, not only for oneself, but for others as well. They always intend to do the right thing, but their methods are generally disorganized and often out of alignment with the rest of society. They may create conflict in a team if they feel they are being pushed around, and often view extensive organization and planning as pointless, preferring to improvise.
  
  While they do not have evil intentions, they may do bad things (even though they will not enjoy doing these things) to people who are, in their opinion, bad people, if it benefits the greater good.
  
  
  Example: Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica, Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly, and Robin Hood.

Neutral Moral Alignments

• Lawful Neutral: Called the "Judge" or "Disciplined" alignment. A Lawful Neutral character typically believes strongly in Lawful concepts such as honor, order, rules and tradition, and often follows a personal code. A Lawful Neutral society would typically enforce strict laws to maintain social order, and place a high value on traditions and historical precedent. Examples of Lawful Neutral characters might include a soldier who always follows orders, a judge or enforcer that adheres mercilessly to the word of the law, a disciplined monk.
  
  Characters of this alignment are neutral with regard to good and evil. This does not mean that Lawful Neutral characters are amoral or immoral, or do not have a moral compass; but simply that their moral considerations come a distant second to what their code, tradition or law dictates. They typically have a strong ethical code, but it is primarily guided by their system of belief, not by a commitment to good or evil.
  
  
  Example: James Bond, Odysseus, and Sanjuro from Yojimbo.
  
  
• Neutral: Also referred to as True Neutral or Neutral Neutral, is called the "Undecided" or "Nature's" alignment. This alignment represents Neutral on both axes, and tends not to feel strongly towards any alignment. A farmer whose primary overriding concern is to feed his family is of this alignment. Most animals, lacking the capacity for moral judgment, are of this alignment. Many roguish characters who play all sides to suit themselves are also of this alignment.
  
  
  Example: Lara Croft, Lucy Westenra from Dracula and Han Solo in his early Star Wars.
  
  
• Chaotic Neutral: Called the "Anarchist" or "Free Spirit" alignment. A character of this alignment is an individualist who follows his or her own heart, and generally shirks rules and traditions. Although they promote the ideals of freedom, it is their own freedom that comes first. Good and Evil come second to their need to be free, and the only reliable thing about them is how totally unreliable they are. Chaotic Neutral characters are free-spirited and do not enjoy the unnecessary suffering of others, but if they join a team, it is because that team's goals coincide with their own. They invariably resent taking orders and can be very selfish in their pursuit of personal goals. A Chaotic Neutral character does not have to be an aimless wanderer; they may have a specific goal in mind, but their methods of achieving that goal are often disorganized, unorthodox, or entirely unpredictable.
  
  An unusual subset of Chaotic Neutral is "strongly Chaotic Neutral", describing a character who behaves chaotically to the point of appearing insane. Characters of this type may regularly change their appearance and attitudes for the sake of change, and intentionally disrupt organizations for the sole reason of disrupting a lawful construct.
  
  
  Example: Captain Jack Sparrow, Al Swearengen from the TV series Deadwood, and Snake Plissken from Escape from New York.

Evil Moral Alignments

• Lawful Evil: Referred to as the "Dominator" or "Diabolic" alignment. Characters of this alignment see a well-ordered system as being easier to exploit, and show a combination of desirable and undesirable traits; while they usually obey their superiors and keep their word, they care nothing for the rights and freedoms of other individuals and are not averse to twisting the rules to work in their favor. Examples of this alignment include tyrants, devils, undiscriminating mercenary types who have a strict code of conduct, and loyal soldiers who enjoy the act of killing.
  
  Lawful Evil characters may sometimes find themselves faced with the dilemma of whether to obey law or evil when the two conflict - however their issues with Law versus Evil are more concerned with "Will I get caught?" vs "How does this benefit me?"
  
  
  Example: Boba Fett of Star Wars and X-Men's Magneto.
  
  
• Neutral Evil: Called the "Malefactor" alignment. Characters of this alignment are typically selfish and have no qualms about turning on their allies-of-the-moment. They have no compunctions about harming others to get what they want, but neither will they go out of their way to cause carnage or mayhem when they see no direct benefit to it. They abide by laws for only as long as it is convenient for them.
  
  A villain of this alignment can be more dangerous than either Lawful or Chaotic Evil characters, since he is neither bound by any sort of honor or tradition nor disorganized and pointlessly violent. Examples are an assassin who has little regard for formal laws but does not needlessly kill, a henchman who plots behind his superior's back, or a mercenary who switches sides if made a better offer.
  
  
  Example: X-Men's Mystique and Sawyer of the early seasons of Lost.
  
  
• Chaotic Evil: Referred to as the "Destroyer" or "Demonic" alignment. Characters of this alignment tend to have no respect for rules, other people's lives, or anything but their own desires, which are typically selfish and cruel. They set a high value on personal freedom, but do not have any regard for the lives or freedom of other people. They do not work well in a group, as they resent being given orders, and usually only behave themselves out of fear of punishment.
  
  It is not compulsory for a Chaotic Evil character to be constantly performing sadistic acts just for the sake of being evil, or constantly disobeying orders just for the sake of causing chaos. They do however enjoy the suffering of others, and view honor and self-discipline as weaknesses. Serial killers and monsters of limited intelligence are typically Chaotic Evil.
  
  
  Example: Carl Denham from the 2005 remake of King Kong and Riddick from Pitch Black.

[/justify]

[Wudgeous]

WIP to be continued after I get back from board games. :)



Unwritten - Natasha Beddingfield

[justify]

GERTRUDE
THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGGS


Or GOLDEN GOOSE, for short.
n p c

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"...clever enough to speak, and wise enough to know not to."

-Dragon Age

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PHYSICALITY

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Description (Animal).
Waddling on two black feet with a swaying feathered butt is a member of the elite. Did you put it past the Hatter to recruit a duck--? Except she's not a duck, you rude heathen! She is a glorious, beautiful goose, and you will NOT forget this lest sheHONKHONKHONKHONK!
Ahem.
Years have passed, and our feathery friend has drastically mellowed out. Doesn't mean she's no longer proud of her heritage, though. She even rather takes offense to being called a "woman."

Appearance (Human).
Hair: Blonde and long, feathery in texture. It was shorter years ago, but it's been a while since she's had owners who think to give her a good trim.
Facial Hair: Well, she has these pink soft smacky things on her mouth, but she doesn't think it's hair...
Eyes: Dark, like black pearls.
Build: She has impressive... hindquarters... but is fairly slim other than that. Skinny limbs, but soft skin.
Skin Tone: Peachy creamy, though with swarthy blotches on her shoulders and back.
Height: Her long neck makes her look taller than she is, but she's 4'11". (Goose height is about 2'6", what did you expect?) She doesn't stand past the shoulders of most folks, but she's got a mean glare that can shame any basketball player, I tell ya.
Weight: You can probably pick this petite thing up no problem, though she'll scream and bite and swat at you no matter what form she's in.
Voice: Mellow, prone to humming over chattering. She can be abruptly hoarse and deep when she decides to use her "natural" voice in place of communicating human words. Gertrude somewhat more talkative as a goose, strangely, following you around and gossiping about you right behind your back.
Handed: Left. She doesn't have a hand on her other side, per se.
Body Markings: Aforementioned swarthy blotches, matching the patterns on her natural coat.
Scar Tissue: There was a long bloody swath along her right wing and a couple arrows penetrating her back at one point, then the numerous bruises from being rough-handled throughout her life. These have since healed over and feathers have since grown back, but the scars remain; signs that she's been deprived of the ability to fly.
Unique Body Features: Well, her right torso appendage is sort of a wing. No matter what form she takes, she's stuck with the one goose wing that refuses to change with the rest of her. She's learned to live with it, wearing a cloak over it when she's out in public, etc; though effectively taking different shapes has become something of an impossibility.

Name

"Ooh! Let's name him... Gallagher."
"Gallagher?"
"Gallagher."
"Mr. Godwin, she lays eggs--she's a lady bird. Gallagher is not a lady's name. How about... Edith?"
"Edith?!"
"That's my sister's name...!"
"Oh, that poor, poor girl. Nononono, no. Let's try... URH-soola."
"Oh dear..."

They finally settled on Getrude, after several minutes of the goose looking confusedly between the two.


Nickname
Rudy and Rude, for short... Or Girth. Hatter and Alice are the best namers. "Duckie" if you're feeling cheeky and don't mind losing a nose.

Title
Goosie.

Race
Goose.

Visual Age
Forty, give or take two years.

Factual Age
Fifty-three (clearly already getting on in geese age when Halice picked her up).

Gender
Female.

Sexual Orientation
Other geese, thanks, and currently not looking. Buzz the hell off, bucko.

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MENTALITY

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Personality
Rather vile, actually, being a farm animal and all... She can have dirty habits, and a dirtier mouth. Alice tried to teach her etiquette once, but it was about as effective as trying to teach Godwin to sit still for more than five minutes. At the very least, she's learned to wash her hands and bathe in clean water. Gertrude's the sort to lean in muttering some joke and then snort voraciously, when she feels the itch to (much more common a few decades back). She likes observing, often following her fellow elite members about the camp when she's got nothing better to do. Try to touch her without warning though, and she'll retreat, giving you the evil eye from a distance until she's sure you're without any evil plots in store for her. She's quick to continue waddling after you after that, though.

She can be a lap-goose, if she's tired enough.


"My gander that I raised in the house for 4 months is the meanest thing. I went to college and he decided that he hated my guts.. I've decided geese hold grudges."
"Pippin knows I wont let him go after the kids...I stand in between...so he bites me to get his vengeance."
But, bred to believe she was lesser on the evolutionary scale, she sees humans as a reliable source of food and safety, among other things.

Quirks
She likes Sven mostly because he smells like dirty, and Rowen because she smells like funky. Gertrude likes trying to preen these two best.
She speaks as little as possible, feeling her beak is more trouble than it's worth. Even when she does open her mouth in human form, the most she'll usually utter is a "shh..."

Moral Alignment
Lawful Neutral: rather selfish sometimes, but she'll stop that if you scold her. She'll panic and flap her arms first, but eventually she'll stop that. She knows no other way than to obey authority. After all, those who aren't obedient tended to get their feathers plucked and throats cut with a butcher knife, right?

Virtue/Creed
"Honk, honk." (.... Uh.)

Motivation
Repaying a kindness. Being saved from the fright of her life ain't a small deal, even for a birdbrain.

Fears
Foxes, wolves, dogs: Need we say more?
Loud clappy hands: Not applause, just the scolding claps.

Goal
Eh; be a good goose, help out when she can. Gertrude's quite unaware of the bigger picture going on in the world, and can only see helping her benefactors as a feasible goal.

Likes
The Hatter, Sven, herself, Rowen, Alice (before crystallization), Grumpy, water, treats, crabapple, crunchy insects.

Dislikes
Dorian Grey, furry creatures on four legs, Alice (after crystallization), grease, bonnets, swans, chickens, horses, not being able to fly south as instinct dictates, tall plants, ducks, etc.

Strengths
First-aid: And she can help cook, and help clean. Sometimes all you need to brighten a day is a second pair of hands, yes? Or one hand... whatever.
Soothing the Savage Beast: Goose form can quell the Hatter's more extreme emotions, to an extent. Nowhere near as well as Alice can. Hatter doesn't even acknowledge her most of the time she's in human form--it's when she's a feathery creature that he serves her copious amounts of tea and has her sit on his lap.
Jaded for an animal: She's not the naive farm creature she once was. Time has equipped her with skepticism, and she knows to run hollering when she sees suspicious behavior.

Weaknesses
Dumb for a human: What it says on the tin. Having human form does not grant her human intellect, though she's done fairly well, considering she did little more than... you know, give birth and prance in muddy water for the first two decades of her life.
One-armed wonder: Doesn't grant her a lot of combat skills in a fair fight, though she's at least recently regained her equilibrium and can do a fine job as a distraction.
WHO ARE YOU IN MY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE: She easily forgets familiar faces after a couple of years. It doesn't take toooo long to get her to warm back up to you again, but it's still an uncomfortable amount of time to have her steering out of your way and glaring.

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ARMAMENT

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Basic sleeveless dresses, usually in colors that remind her of water, grass and mud. They get tears in them because she doesn't pay enough attention to her surroundings, but she's learned to sew from Alice. So, very patchy dresses that remind her of water, grass and mud.
She doesn't wear shoes, because when she transforms back into a goose... uh, yeah.

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COMBAT PROWESS

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Racial Abilities
FLAP FLAP, HONK HONK!: --Good jesus what--?! Our goose is good at making very sudden, very LOUD noises; particularly startling from a human mouth. It's a reflex, and tends to be her first resort when faced with a dilemma. It's... not very effective when she's losing a game of chess though.

Spells/Powers
Shapechanger: Limited to her own body. So no, she can't turn you into a dragon. Sorry.


Other than that, she's a stay-at-home goose, for the most part.

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EQUIPMENT

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Items
N/A, unless you count twigs and shit.

Memorabilia
Pendant from the Hatter: Ah... this old thing? Well, it works better than a ring. Can geese even wear rings?
Ever since this ugly gem was slipped about her elongated neck, Gertrude has been able to change her shape. The human form was easiest, as she was always surrounded by them, though it took some getting used to in terms of maneuvering. It has a rather large crack on it, but she's very temperamental about letting other people touch the thing in the first place, ever since.... well, another time, perhaps.


Weapon
Weapon Name: "That pointed thing you gave me."
Weapon Type: Blade.
Material: Steel, I'd reckon.
Length: Three and a half feet.
Weight: Not terribly light, actually.
Weapon Description/Info: Upon Sven's initiation as the leader, Gertrude was forced to take up arms. Gertrude did not like this. She hated training, and would shift forms and bite and flee and sulk. But Sven smells so nice, like the pigs she used to share a coop with, so she couldn't help but eventually cooperate. She's learned to disarm her enemy and fight off bandits, but no more than that. (Probably earning a Good stat). The weapon itself is a simple blade, like a Jian sans the tassel. It wasn't forged for heavy combat, but it has served a number of purposes (such as cutting rope).

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BACKGROUND

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Kingdom
Some farmstead, Ebone.

Faction
Elite - something of a caretaker, and doubly so in Alice's absence. She's the one that stays behind to watch the campsite when situation are dire enough to call for the entire group, and she's the smiling face they come home to.

Marital Status
"What do you call it when you've been fucked by three ganders and once batted at by a jealous wife?"
(Dude, don't ask her things like this. What's wrong with you? (She's never done any deeds with human beings, and doesn't intend to. You all have funny-lookin' bodies; it's bad enough that she has to relinquish her beautiful webbed feet and handsome little beak to speak and walk with you all.)

Relatives
Six brothers, mostly slaughtered by this point, then some born and unborn eggs. Such is the fate of livestock. She doesn't think about the topic of "family" for good reason.